


Muse

by AsagiStilinski



Series: Pridecember 2018 [8]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Artists, Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Photographer, Art, Artists, Fae & Fairies, Inspiration, M/M, Obsession, Painting, Photography, Secrets, Watching Someone Sleep, slightly dark fic, ygopridecember2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 20:31:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16919901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagiStilinski/pseuds/AsagiStilinski
Summary: Atem is an artist who's photographer boyfreind can't seem to get enough of him, little does he know that there's more to Seto than meets the eye....





	Muse

**Author's Note:**

> Day 8 of Pridecember 2018- "Artist"
> 
> One of my personal favorite themes

Film could never capture what Seto saw

No camera lens was good enough to see the way that Seto could

There was no way to acheive the perfection of these moments on papper, or preserve them on a computer, even his own memories couldn't replicate this moment in perfection

But that wouldn't stop him from trying

The camera shutter was flickering like humming bird wings, he knew within reason that it was excessive, laying his finger down on the button like it was a lifeline, but he only had so many minutes to capture this moment before it was gone, and he couldn't risk losing even a single second

He wanted to capture _everything_

He wanted to catch every single hair as they splayed out on the pillow beneath, every single time his fingers curled or uncurled around the sheets, each little chillbump against his bare skin as they pebbled against his dark skin

He wanted to capture each time his chest rose, and each time it fell

Everytime his eyes fluttered beneath their lids, or his mouth opened or closed a little further

He wanted an entire gallery of nothing but this moment

Did that sound obsessive?

Did that sound.... wrong?

Did that sound like he was anything but absolutely and irrevocably in love, to the Nth degree, well past what any creature's heart- human or otherwise- should be able to hold?

He didn't care

He couldn't care

All he cared about was this moment, and the muse that lay sleeping before him

And he had no qualms with calling him that either, surely, if any were a living inspiration for art, born of the gods, it would be this man

Ah.... his eyes were fluttering open, time to put the camera down

With mild reluctance, he set the camera aside on the nightstand, reaching down to gently cup his lover's face, stroking his fingers through his hair, admiring him in every form he could imagine

Slowly, his lover's garnet eyes slid open, blinking a few times, adjusting to the light, as he focused his gaze up at the photographer

"Seto..... did you have that blasted camera out again?" he asked softly, a clear teasing edge to his voice as he smirked up at him

"What makes you think that?"

"You've clearly been up for some time, you usually do," he chuckled, shifting to sit up and reach out, arms wrapping around Seto's neck as he tugged him down, giving him a soft, slow kiss

"Good morning, my darling,"

Seto could feel his lips twitching into a grin, eyes sliding shut, as he pulled the smaller man into his lap

"Good morning, Atem,"

 

~+~

 

Art is subjective

No two people, no matter how like-minded, will ever agree with 100% certainty on what art is or isn't, on what constitutes beauty, on what separates a drawing from a masterpeice

Perhaps that's part of the appeal, the opinion of it all

Atem knew this from experience

His finace' was a fine lover of art, and he always insisted that everything Atem's paintbrush touched was remarkably beautifull

But he still didn't quite understand painting, he didn't understand Atem's muses, or the beauty he saw in his subjects

And for his credit, Atem _certainly_ didn't understand Seto's version of art

Photography was..... nice, it was nice, but Seto seemed to think it was the highest form of art and Atem couldn't possibly agree less

He especially couldn't understand the beauty that Seto saw in his subjects- or perhaps better put, _subject_

He wasn't even surprised anymore when he heard the snap of a camera behind him, not even bothering to glance over his shoulder at the self-professed photographer

He had been living like this for over a year, it had lost it's mystery long ago

"What's that?"

"A stag," Atem answered simply, his paintbrush stroking over the canvas again and again, painting layer upon layer of black against the previously white fabric

"I see that, but why are you painting a stag?"

The sound of the camera being set down- thank the _gods_ \- echoed in the otherwise quiet room as Seto approached, his heels clicking against the hardwood as he walked closer, it was a soothing sound to the artist's ears

"I dreamed it, I had a dream about him, I wanted to paint what I saw,"

Strong arms wrapped around his shoulders, soft lips pressed against his neck, but his paintbrush didn't stop for even a moment

"This is going to sound rhetorical, but why are you dreaming about stags?"

"I... don't know, that's why I'm painting him, I'm trying to figure that out..."

Seto only hummed, and kissed him again, here and there, falling quiet

"I have a new project commissioned, by the way, I'm illustrating a children's book,"

"Are you?"

"Yes, it's a new take on Little Red Riding Hood, where the wolf is her freind,"

"Sounds fun,"

"I think it will be,"

Seto's hand was on his ribs, his lips were on his shoulder, Atem's paintbrush was starting to stall

"Are you really trying to distract me from my work?"

"You're painting a big deer, it's not work, it's a project, but you aren't going to sell it,"

Atem turned around suddenly, a truly offended look on his face

"Excuse me?"

"You aren't going to sell it," he repeated, nipping his ear

"I want it in my office,"

Atem huffed, finally pulling his paintbrush away from the canvas and swiping it across his lover's face, nose wrinkling

"Perhaps I don't want you to have it,"

"What if I pay five hundred thousand yen for it?"

The artist smirked, poking his paintbrush against Seto's nose

"Then someone will be paying for it,"

For a moment, they were both silent, before Seto suddenly jerked his to-be-husband out of his chair and dragged him to the floor with a gasp, rolling him onto his back and biting into his neck again

"Seto! If my painting is so much as _jostled_ , I will cut your head off!" Atem warned breathlessly

"Mm, duely noted," he purred, already snapping one of the buttons on his partner's shirt open

"And if I hear that camera go off, I will cut off something you value _far_ more than your head,"

That actually drew a laugh- a dark, breathy sort of sound- from the photographer

"I think I'll take my chances,"

 

~+~

 

_*Snap*_

Slowly, Atem opened one eye, glancing up at the man above him and frowning

_*Snap*_

He _knew_ it was that blasted camera, he ought to get rid of the thing

_*Snap*_

"If you take one more photo of me in the bath, I will mutilate you," he warned, splashing threateningly directly at his lover's new pants

Seto dodged easily- _freak_

"I'm willing to take my chances," he said simply, setting the camera down on the bathroom counter and starting to unbutton his shirt

"I don't remember inviting you in," Atem observed, finally removing his arm and cheek from where they had been resting on the edge of the tub

"I don't remember asking," Seto smirked back, leaning down to give him a kiss

Atem, with as much maturity as he could muster, stuck his tongue out at his lover

"I finished your deer, by the way," he mused as he sat up, leaning against the back of the tub as Seto's shirt was folded and set on the counter beneath the camera

"Good, I'll have it framed in the morning and put in my office by afternoon, I'll put it right over my chair,"

"To... intimidate your employees?" the artist guessed with a teasing smirk, watching as his lover's pale nimble fingers began undoing his belt

"This is why I'm marrying you, you're talented _and_ smart,"

"Wow, two compliments in one sentence, who died?"

"No one you know," the photographer shrugged back, undoing his pants and sliding them off, though, at that moment, Atem happened to glance up, and feel the mood drastically change

There was blood on Seto's arm

It was just a small splatter, but it was definitely there

"You ... have blood on you, who's hurt?" he asked with concern

Seto, with a complete lack of interest, glanced down at the splatter and shrugged, folding his pants and then removing his underwear

"It's nothing, really, just someone at work, had a bit of an accident, it's nothing for you to worry about,"

Atem didn't seem at all convinced, his heart racing a little faster as he watched his lover climb into the bath with him

"It.... you... promise that you're alright?"

"I swear," Seto promised, leaning down and giving Atem another kiss, eagerly pulling him into his lap, arms wrapping around him, lips pressing to his neck as the artist exhaled, eyes drifting down to stare at the red stain on Seto's otherwise pale skin once more

"You just.... worry me, at times,"

"Don't worry," he promised quietly, teeth digging into the artist's sweet bronze skin

"I promise you, everything is fine, I swear it,"

 

~+~

 

The painting was gorgeous

It was exactly as he had hoped it would turn out, and he couldn't resist staring at it for a little bit longer than necessary after it was hung in his office

It was perfect

He was glad he had sent that dream to Atem, inspired him to create such a beautifull thing

Atem was a magnificent artist, and he had plenty of inspiration of his own, but Seto was always thrilled to provide that extra nudge whenever given the opportunity, to truly pull out the absolute best in his lover

It was a very interesting symbiosis they had going on, one that Atem was thus far unaware of

Seto, as a Leanan Sidhe`, inspired Atem, he gave him the muse he needed when his own inspiration began to fade away, though it was admittedly a rare occurrence, and Atem, as the jewl of Seto's eye, inspired him, constantly, day and night, every moment

His beauty drove the faery to artistic heights he had never imagined, and Atem was entirely unaware of it

Seto had never meant to fall in love with him, he had only meant to make a meal of him as he had done with other artists in the past, but after only a few meetings, Seto realized how deeply and instantaneously he was falling, and quickly curbed his behavior

He wanted Atem to live a luxuriously long life with him, in happiness and artistic bliss, driving eachother's inspiration and art to their highest points, constantly feeding off of eachother...

But to do that, to give Atem's lifespan that extra, unnatural boost, and to keep himself from accidentally feeding on his beloved when inspiring him, Seto needed to get life force elsewhere

It was a good thing that his photography was only his pet project, he had always had a passion for a much more lucrative job, one wherein he could drain away whatever life force he needed, whenever he needed it

The nock on his office door brought Seto away from his thoughts, and he reached down to buzz in whoever was on the other side

"Isono, you have something to address with me?"

"It's the Underwood boy again Sir, he's refusing to pay his debt,"

Seto merely gave a curt nod, reaching into the desk drawer and taking his gun out

He didn't use fire arms often, they left a trail, and they left him absent of the satisfaction of draining his victims to their last breath, but he needed it for security anyway

"Ready my car, I'll be there in a moment," he replied, waiting until Isono left before sighing and taking his phone from his desk, staring breifly down at the lock screen- one of the pictures he'd taken of Atem's sleeping face- before unlocking it and dialing his lover's number

He's have to tell Atem he would be late for dinner

But atleast, perhaps, if they changed their reservation, then this meant he could catch a few photos of his lover painting before they left


End file.
